Typical toddler (hereinafter, "toddler" is used as incorporating infants, toddlers and children) wardrobes include garments which consist of a shirt portion, the front and back of which become attached in the toddler's crotch with buttons or snaps. The undershirt version of this style of garment is often referred to as a Onesie.RTM.. This type of design, whereby the front and back of the garment are connected in the crotch, is desirable for use with toddlers because it enables a parent (hereinafter, "parent" is used as incorporating parents and other caretakers) to change the toddler's diaper without removing the upper portion of the garment. If this type of garment fits snugly, which is only possible for a short period of time because toddlers grow rapidly, it can also aid in keeping the toddler's shirt down and diaper in place.
There are several other problems inherent with the existing art due to the location and design of the closure, typically in the crotch region with snaps. First, parents need to be able to open and close their toddlers' garments as quickly and safely as possible because toddlers, in general, do not enjoy having their garments and diapers changed, and they often wriggle, kick and cry during the process. The existing art does not permit a parent to open and close their toddler's garment quickly and safely because snaps always require two hands to close. Consequently, the toddler's torso cannot be held safely in place during the changing process. Manipulating snaps in the crotch of a toddler is even more difficult, more time consuming and less safe when the toddler wriggles and kicks its legs. The snaps used with the existing art are often relatively small and, therefore, difficult to control, especially for men with larger hands. Furthermore, due to the circumstances a parent must face when fastening the relatively small snaps in the crotch as required with the existing art, misalignment of the snaps is common and the process must be repeated, frustrating both parent and toddler.
As previously mentioned, another common problem with toddlers' clothing is the fact that they do not usually fit for a long period of time, due to the rapid growth of children of this age. Since toddlers' clothing items are usually only suitable for a very short period of time, parents incur continued and substantial expense in dressing their children. Moreover, toddlers' garments are usually classified by the age and/or weight of the child. These classifications are often extremely misleading because children of this age vary significantly in both size and weight. The two aforementioned sizing problems taken together not only result in significant expense to the parent, but also in unnecessary and frustrating dressing and undressing of the toddler. Commonly, a parent will dress their toddler only to learn that the garment does not fit properly, forcing the parent to undress their toddler and try again.
To resolve these problems, it is desirable to furnish toddlers' clothing which is safe, fast and easy to apply. The ability to apply a toddler's garment with one hand increases the safety of the garment enormously because it allows a parent to have a free hand to stabilize or control the toddler during the outfit and/or diaper changing process. A faster and easier closing garment by nature also makes the garment safer, but additionally leads to a more content toddler, and, therefore, a more content parent.
It is also desirable to furnish garments that may be adjustable to last longer and/or to more closely and snugly fit an individual toddler for a cleaner look, a more comfortable fit and more effective means of holding a diaper in place. The invention herein provides for a toddler garment having a safe, quick, and easy closure system (enabling one-handed closure) which fastens above the narrowest portion between the leg openings with a hook and loop closure. Various embodiments of the present invention accommodate the need for adjustability through the arrangement of the hooks and loops and/or through the use of elastic-type material and/or fabric.
Hook and loop closures such as Velcro.TM. are well known in conjunction with articles of clothing, such as undergarments, jackets, shoes and gloves, in order to assist in dressing and removal of clothing. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,597,110, issued to Smith et. al., describes women's underpants with a hook and loop closure such as Velcro.TM. in the crotch area. This design, however, does not in any way contemplate use in toddlers' garments and it also does not consider use in conjunction with clothes such as a shirt, top or dress for anyone, including adults. Moreover, Smith does not contemplate adjustability, an extremely useful feature with garments for toddlers, and one that is unnecessary with women's underpants.
One attempt was made to design an adjustable infant garment through the use of string. Teasley U.S. Pat. No. 5,367,709 provides for an adjustable "romper" for infants that can be lengthened or shortened via a pair of drawstrings which pass through the inner portion of the sides of the torso and/or sleeves of the garment. The set of drawstrings operates in a fashion similar to a pair of shoelaces. When tightened, the drawstrings cause the body portion of the romper to "bunch up" thereby reducing the effective length of the garment. Teasley considers incorporating a crotch panel connecting the front and back of the garment with buttons, but Teasley does not contemplate using the panel to accomplish one-handed, safe, quick, easy or adjustable closure. Instead, Teasley uses an elaborate drawstring design on the sides of the torso to facilitate adjustability, in contrast to the convenient hook and loop fastener and/or elastic designs discussed herein. In addition, because the Teasley romper bunches up at the sides, it is unsightly and probably uncomfortable to wear. Furthermore, the use of drawstrings with toddlers may make this design unsafe.
Conway U.S. Pat. No. 5,819,317 relates generally to an infant garment which incorporates an absorbent material in the crotch area to reduce leaking. Essentially, it combines the concept of a T-shirt and a diaper. In discussing possible embodiments of the design, Conway mentions that the snaps located along the edges of the front and back of the garment, which connect between the legs at the narrowest portion of the crotch, may be replaced with hook and loop closures. However, Conway in no way contemplates using such a device in order to facilitate adjustability or to provide a safe, quick and easy closure capable of being fastened with one hand.
In fact, Conway does not discuss safety, ease of closure or adjustability at all. This is not surprising because the intent of the Conway invention was to provide protection to a child and parent from a leaking diaper, not to provide a quick, one-handed closing or adjustable garment. It is further evident that Conway did not contemplate a one-handed closing or adjustable garment because the snaps in Conway are at the edges of the narrowest portion between the leg openings of the crotch. Incorporating hook and loop closures at these edges of a garment, where they may contact the crotch and/or upper legs of a toddler, is even more unsafe, impractical and inconvenient than having snaps there as discussed previously.
Conway in no way addressed the problems related to manipulating closure in the narrowest portion of the crotch with a moving toddler, in general, and Conway specifically fails to address the irritation affiliated with imperfect alignment of closure in that area. For example, Velcro.TM. closures in the crotch, where the Velcro.TM. members are flush against six edges of the garment when the garment is in the open position (as they are depicted flush in Smith), may be inappropriate for toddlers because the hook portion of the Velcro.TM. can irritate the toddler if not perfectly aligned, and a toddler can neither tell a parent that the hooks are irritating, nor can it readjust the closure him or herself. Because toddlers commonly move during the changing process, perfect alignment of the hooks and loops is unlikely to occur.
In addition, various configurations of hook and loop closures which enhance adjustability, closure strength and optimal fit, are not suggested by Conway. Conway also does not contemplate the use of elastic or fabric/material having an elastic quality to create an adjustable garment. Having a longer lasting and more optimally fitting garment is extremely useful for a growing toddler.
The existing art is void of garments for infants, toddlers and children which provides for a safe, quick, easy and one-handed method of fastening their garments by the use of one or more sets of hook and loop fasteners and/or elastic-like material/fabric in such a manner which may allow for versatile adjustability and optimal fit.